Happy New Year!
by Lovely Clarice
Summary: 5 ½ months after Hannibal the movie, on New Years Eve.


Summary: 5 ½ months after Hannibal the movie, on New Years Eve.   
  
Authors Note: Hey you all, I'm back on track ;-) with a new (maybe a bit late) New Years story. I want to thank Cy for helping me, thanks you're the best! Well A happy New Year to you all and enjoy!   
  
Happy New Year!    
  
It was New Years Eve, and Clarice was invited for a party at her the house of her best friend, Ardelia Mapp.  
  
She and some other mutual friends had been invited to Mapp's. Every one of them was in a relationship, except for Clarice. So Ardelia had asked her brother Trevor to come to the party to be Clarice's date. Trevor had always had an eye for Clarice, from the moment Clarice and Ardelia became friends, till now. Clarice hated to be set up for a date, she knew Ardelia meant well, but she just didn't need to be matched to someone. She was glad it was someone she knew, but she also knew that Trevor had an eye for her and she didn't feel the same way. She liked him very much as a friend, but not as a future lover.  
  
For the occasion, she had bought a new, simple, red dress, sleeveless, with an exposed back and matching shoes. She finished her ensemble with a simple silver necklace and a silver slave bangle. She didn't care much for jewelry. She lifted her hair up in a twist and added some light make-up to her face.  
  
It was nine when Trevor arrived at her house to pick her up for the party. He was in a nice dark blue tuxedo and had brought a dozen red roses for his date. She thanked him for the roses and they went on their way to the party.  
  
Arriving at the house, they noticed everybody was already present at the party. Ardelia opened the door to greet them.  
  
"Hey Girlfriend, glad you made it!" she said as she hugged Clarice. "You look stunning in that dress, girl, and you, very handsome little brother, you look lovely as a couple."  
  
Clarice warned her friend with 'a don't start that again' look as Ardelia grinned wickedly and let her friend and brother enter the house.  
  
"Come in you two, everybody's already here."  
  
James, Ardelia's boyfriend came up to greet them. "Hi Clarice, Trevor, nice to see you two again."  
  
They greeted him as they walked in the living room to greet the others.   
  
Clarice mingled among the people in the room, to avoid being alone with Trevor, as she didn't want it to look like a real date. He talked with his sister, and with James. The hours passed, they talked, danced and drank until it was almost midnight. It was a nice party, but Clarice just didn't feel like celebrating.  
  
Ardelia called everybody to assemble into a group for the countdown. Everybody gathered around with a glass of champagne and started to count. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"  
  
They all hugged and kissed and raised their glasses to wish everybody a happy New Year.  
  
After that, they all went outside to enjoy the fire works, except for Clarice; she stayed on the front porch.  
  
The fireworks of tonight, reminded her of a night, 5 ½ months ago, on the 4th of July.  
  
She hated to be remembered of that night, that night had changed everything, including her whole life.  
  
She had worked hard the past 5 ½ months to win the trust of her so-called love, the F.B.I, back and to resume her old job, but still, things weren't the same anymore.   
  
The lambs screamed harder than ever at night, and she kept dreaming and having flashbacks of that night, at the Chesapeake. This night, because of the fireworks, she had flashbacks. Once again, she was standing in that low- cut black dress on the shore at the house, watching the empty boat and looking at the fireworks, he was gone. It hurt to remember everything he had said and done that night, and even though she had been drugged, she remembered every word he had said to her. She closed her eyes, trying to forget it all, trying to clear her head.  
  
At that moment, Ardelia stepped onto the porch behind her. "Hey, why are you here alone instead of joining us to watch the fireworks? Come on, your date is missing you." She said teasingly.   
  
Clarice opened her eyes and turned to watch Ardelia. "I just wanted a moment alone, that's all, Ardi."  
  
"Everything alright girlfriend?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, trying to smile to Ardelia. Clarice didn't want her to be concerned and ask any more questions.  
  
"So how's your date with Trevor going? He REALLY likes you, you know. He can't stop talking about you." Ardelia said, smiling, she hoped Clarice would give her brother a chance; he would be good to her.  
  
"I know, Ardi, so you've told me a hundred times before this night. I told you I like him very much, but I'm just not in love with him."  
  
Ardelia sighed. "That's because you don't let him in girl! You don't give him a change to love you, to be loved. He would be good to you!"  
  
"Well, since we still can't agree on this topic, let's go back to the others," said Clarice. With that, she closed the topic, because she knew that Ardelia would keep trying if she did not.  
  
They walked towards the street, where the others were standing, watching the fireworks.  
  
Trevor immediately walked up and stood beside Clarice.  
  
"Hey you, I was wondering where you were. You look cold, here," He said as he draped his jacket around her shoulders.  
  
"Thanks, I just wanted to be alone for a moment, that's all."  
  
He smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad you're back!" He said, winking as they walked towards the others.  
  
At half past three, Clarice decided she wanted to go home. She said goodbye to everyone and thanked Ardelia for the nice party. Trevor took her home. Arriving back at her home, she stopped at the front door to thank Trevor.  
  
"Thanks for bringing me home, and thanks for this evening, I had a nice time."  
  
At that, she quickly kissed him goodnight on the cheek, before he would kiss her or something, and then she opened the front door and went inside.  
  
Trevor left, disappointed of course, as he had wanted for the evening to be the beginning of a relationship, and thus starting the New Year with a new love, but it hadn't happened.  
  
A few feet away from the house, in the same street, a black Jaguar was parked, with a well-dressed gentleman in it. He smiled at the site of the young fellow leaving Clarice.  
  
"Sorry, young man, but I'm afraid you're just not the right match for Special Agent Starling," he whispered.  
  
As he saw Trevor driving out of the street, he got out of the car and walked towards Clarice's house.  
  
Meanwhile, Clarice was in the kitchen, pouring herself a big glass of Jack Daniels, which she needed at that moment. It was still dark in the house. She had turned on no light, having wanting no light.  
  
She sighed heavily and took a seat at her kitchen table with her drink, and the bottle, in case she required many refills.  
  
Why was she feeling so empty? So alone? So strange? She had been with friends all night, and still, she felt alone and empty. She just didn't feel like herself anymore.  
  
While she contemplated these thoughts, Doctor Hannibal Lecter, who had previously been inside the Jaguar, was entering her house, through the back door.  
  
Upon entering her home, his nostrils were immediately filled with the scent of Clarice Starling, and he was drawn by that smell. He softly sneaked past the laundry-room, and looked into the living room. She wasn't there. Just then, he heard a sound, coming from the kitchen. He walked towards it and saw her sitting at the kitchen table.  
  
She was drinking, he noticed. She hadn't heard him, and didn't see him standing there, in the doorway, watching her. She didn't look like she was celebrating New Years.  
  
"Drinking away your sorrows, Agent Starling? I always thought that New Years was supposed to be a happy time, but you don't look too happy," he said suddenly.  
  
She almost choked on her drink when she heard that voice, the voice that still haunted her almost every minute of the day. She looked in the direction of his voice, but she couldn't see him; it was just too damn dark in the house. She cursed herself for not turning on any lights when she had gotten home.   
  
When she had finally calmed down enough to find her voice again, she spoke. "Doctor Lecter? May I ask what you are doing here, breaking into my house and sneaking up on me like that? What are you doing here?" she looked in the direction where she had heard the voice, as if she was looking at him.  
  
"I'm sorry of I have startled you, my dear. I just came to visit you, to see how you where doing."  
  
"And you couldn't just ring my doorbell like every normal person does instead of breaking into my house?"  
  
He chuckled. "Well, I thought you knew that I am not a normal person, Clarice. So why take the normal way? And had I done it that way, it would have given you time to call your friends, of course."  
  
She groaned. He was still playing his games, as always.  
  
"You did not answer my question, Clarice. Why are you drinking and sitting here in the dark on New Years? You where home from the party early. Why?"  
  
"How did you know.?"She asked and stopped, remembering that he always knows everything.  
  
"Why would you care why I'm home early and drinking, it's none of your fucking business anyway!" She yelled, taking another sip of her drink.  
  
"You can't drink away any problems, Clarice, if that's what you're trying to do."  
  
She put her glass down hard on the table, angered. "Didn't I just told you to MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS??!!" She screamed as she stood up from her chair.  
  
"There's no need for you to scream, Clarice, I hate that kind of rudeness."  
  
"Would you just tell why you're here? So that we can get this all over with and you can leave me the hell alone!" she shouted again.  
  
That had done it, she had made him angry. In a flash he was upon her and she found her back pinned against the refrigerator.  
  
"Didn't I just ask you to stop screaming at me, Clarice?! Believe me, you don't want to test my patience." He hissed, his face very close to hers.  
  
She could feel his breath on her face; she didn't like being pinned against the refrigerator again, as it brought back all the memories.  
  
"I'm sorry, okay? Just let me go. I don't like being pinned against a refrigerator again, too many bad memories." She tried to reason with him, because she really did not enjoy this position.  
  
He backed up a bit, but still stayed very close to her. "Ah, yes we have done this once before, haven't we? Bad memories huh? Well, I've also got happy memories of it, Clarice, only the ending wasn't as nice as I had hoped."  
  
He showed her his left hand, which he had allowed the cleaver to cut into, 5 ½ months ago. There was a big scar on it, but had healed pretty well.  
  
"As you can see, it still works fine." At that he backed up completely and let her go. "Shall we continue this conversation in your living room, Clarice? Ladies first."  
  
It was not a question, she heard that very clearly in his tone. She groaned, frustrated, and walked towards the living room. Because there was some moonlight in the room, it was a bit better. Now she could at least see the face of the madman she was talking to.  
  
"Please, have a seat, Clarice." As she seated herself in a chair, he seated himself on the couch.  
  
"Doctor, please, just tell me why you're here, and we can get this over with."  
  
"Fed up with my company already, Clarice? Didn't I just explain a few minutes ago, that I came to see how you're doing? I thought I did, maybe I wasn't clear enough. And I also thought we had some unfinished business, to discuss, with no interruption of your so-called friends, the F.B.I."  
  
"Unfinished business? Like what? I thought everything was finished that night."  
  
"Well, I think not, Clarice, you left some questions for me, which I like to be answered. Now."  
  
She sighed; she was so tired of his endless games. "And what, pray, are those questions?"  
  
She saw the twinkle in his eyes; he loved to play these games. Loved to see her finally give in to him and stop fighting.  
  
"Well, Clarice, I think that you know what I'm going to ask. When I kissed you, you almost gave into me; I could feel your body betraying your mind. Please tell me, what was that tear that left your beautiful eye when I broke the kiss about, huh? Was it perhaps that you did not like the decision you made, but you just felt obligated to do it? Please tell me, truly, Clarice."  
  
She sighed. "Well, as always, you see a lot, Doctor."  
  
"Yes, but that isn't a answer to my question, Clarice. And I really don't think you want to test my patience again!" he warned.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" She said as she turned to look away from his piercing gaze. Damn him for bringing that all up again.  
  
He stood up, walked towards her and lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "Don't look away from me again, Clarice. I deserve an answer, just as you do. Are you planning to keep lying to yourself? You must face the truth Clarice, at least for yourself!"  
  
She looked at him, unable to turn her eyes away again, his hand still under her chin. God, she just couldn't face it, because she couldn't handle it, why did he have to do this to her? She refused to speak.  
  
"I'm waiting for an answer, little Starling!"  
  
And that broke her; she knew she had to face it. "All right! Yes, I love you too, okay? The tear was because; deep inside, I didn't want to catch you, because they would lock you up again. But still, that does not change the fact that I. can't love you! I'm a F.B.I agent, and you are a serial killer!"  
  
He kneeled down in front of the chair. "Oh, but I think it does, Clarice. It changes everything. And you know it."  
  
And indeed she did, and that was why she had felt so strange, so alone, so empty. And because of that, she hadn't cared about the F.B.I. anymore, she realized now.  
  
He saw that she knew and understood everything. At that moment, he moved his face towards hers, and kissed her gently upon the lips. This time she did not refuse. Instead, she returned it with everything built up of the passion that she had ever had, over the ten, long years they had been apart.  
  
Her walls were gone; she was his, as she always had meant to be.  
  
He broke the kiss and whispered in her ear. "That's my girl!"  
  
And so it turned out to be a happy New Year for her after all. She was finally with the man she loved more than anything in the whole, entire world!   
  
FIN.  


End file.
